South Korea claims North Korea stole billions of won worth of cryptocurrency from it last year

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides the launch of a Hwasong-12 missile in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 16, 2017. KCNA via REUTERS

South Korean exchanges reportedly targeted by North Korean hackers.

North Korea still trying to hack exchanges, according to a senior South Korean lawmaker.

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Monday that North Korea last year stole cryptocurrency from the South worth billions of won and that it was still trying to hack into its exchanges.

"North Korea sent emails that could hack into cryptocurrency exchanges and their customers' private information and stole (cryptocurrency) worth billions of won," said Kim Byung-kee, a member of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee.

Kim did not disclose which exchanges were hacked.

He added that the country's spy agency assumed that North Korea was continuously trying to hack into exchanges to steal cryptocurrency and that it was trying its best to prevent further hacking.